1. 40 Common Minerals and Their Uses
Aluminum
Most abundant metal element in Earth's crust. Bauxite ore is the main source of aluminum and must be imported from
Guinea, Australia, Jamaica, etc. Used in, transportation (37 percent), packaging (23 percent) building (13 percent),
electrical (8 percent), machinery (8 percent), other (14 percent).
Antimony
A native element; antimony metal is extracted from stibnite and other minerals. Used as a hardening alloy for lead,
especially storage batteries and cable sheaths; also used in bearing metal, type metal, solder, collapsible tubes and
foil, sheet and pipes and semiconductor technology. Antimony is used in fireworks, and antimony salts are used in
the rubber and textile industries, as well as medicine and glassmaking. It is also used as a flame retardant.
Barium
Used as a heavy additive in oil well drilling; in the paper and rubber industries; as a filler or extender in cloth, ink and
plastics products; in radiography ("barium milkshake"); as a deoxidizer for copper; a sparkplug in alloys; and in
making expensive white pigments.
Bauxite
Rock composed of hydrated aluminum oxides. See "aluminum."
Beryllium
Used in the nuclear industry and to make light, very strong alloys used in the aircraft industry. Beryllium salts are
used in fluorescent lamps, in X-ray tubes and as a deoxidizer in bronze metallurgy. Beryl is the gem stones emerald
and aquamarine. It is used in computers, telecommunication products, aerospace and defense applications,
appliances and automotive electronics.
Chromite
The U.S. consumes about 10 percent of world chromite ore production in various forms of imported materials, such
as chromite ore, chromite chemicals, chromium ferroalloys, chromium metal and stainless steel. It is produced in
South Africa, Kazakhstan and India. Used mainly in chemical and metallurgical industries (chrome fixtures, etc.)
Clays
Used in floor and wall tile as an absorbent, in sanitation, mud drilling, foundry sand bond, iron pelletizing, brick, light
weight aggregate and cement; produced in 41 states. Bentonite is used for sand foundry, sand bond, pet waste
absorbent and mud drilling. Kaolin is used for paper coating and filling, refractory products, fiberglass, paint, rubber
and catalyst manufacture.
Cobalt

2. Used in superalloys for jet engines, chemicals (paint dryers, catalysts, magnetic coatings), permanent magnets and
cemented carbides for cutting tools. Cobalt comes principally from Congo, Canada, Zambia, Australia, Cuba and
Russia. The United States has cobalt resources in Minnesota, Alaska, California, Idaho, Missouri, Montana and
Oregon.
Copper
Used in building construction, electric cables and wires, switches, plumbing, heating; roofing and; chemical and
pharmaceutical machinery; alloys (brass, bronze and a new alloy with 3 percent beryllium that is particularly vibration
resistant); alloy castings; electroplated protective coatings and undercoats for nickel, chromium, zinc, etc. More
recently copper is being used in medical equipment due to its anti-microbial properties. Leading producers are Chile,
United States, China, Peru, and Australia.
Feldspar
A rock-forming mineral; industrially important in glass and ceramic industries; patter and enamelware; soaps; bond for
abrasive wheels; cements; insulating compositions; fertilizer; tarred roofing materials; and as a sizing, or filler, in
textiles and paper. In pottery and glass, feldspar functions as a flux. End-uses for feldspar in the U.S. include glass
(65 percent) and pottery and other uses (35 percent).
Fluorite (fluorspar)
Used in production of hydrofluoric acid, which is used in the pottery, ceramics, optical, electroplating and plastics
industries; in the metallurgical treatment of bauxite; as a flux in open hearth steel furnaces and in metal smelting; in
carbon electrodes; emery wheels; electric arc welders; toothpaste; and paint pigment. It is a key ingredient in the
processing of aluminum and uranium.
Gallium
Gallium is used in integrated circuits, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and solar cells. It has a new use in
chemotherapy for some types of cancer. Integrated circuits are used in defense applications, high performance
computers and telecommunications.
Gold
Used in dentistry and medicine; in jewelry and arts; in medallions and coins; in ingots as a store of value; for scientific
and electronic instruments; as an electrolyte in the electroplating industry. Leading producers are South Africa, United
States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Commonwealth of Independent States.
Gypsum
Processed and used as prefabricated wallboard or an industrial or building plaster; used in cement manufacturing;
agriculture and other uses.
Halite (sodium chloride--salt)
Used in human and animal diet, food seasoning and food preservation; used to prepare sodium hydroxide, soda ash,
caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, chlorine, metallic sodium; used in ceramic glazes; metallurgy, curing of hides; mineral

3. waters; soap manufacturing; home water softeners; highway de-icing; photography; in scientific equipment for optical
parts. Single crystals used for spectroscopy, ultraviolet and infrared transmission.
Indium
Indium tin oxide is used for electrical conductivity purposes in flat panel devices - most commonly in liquid crystal
displays (LCDs). It is also used in solders, alloys, compounds, electrical components, semiconductors and research.
Indium ore is not recovered from ores in the U.S. China is the leading producer.
Iron Ore
Used to manufacture steels of various types. Powdered iron: used in metallurgy products; magnets; high-frequency
cores; auto parts; catalyst. Radioactive iron (iron 59): in medicine; tracer element in biochemical and metallurgical
research. Iron blue: in paints, printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, paper dyeing. Black iron oxide: as pigment; in
polishing compounds; metallurgy; medicine; magnetic inks. Most U.S. production is from Minnesota and Michigan.
China, Brazil, Australia and the Commonwealth of Independent States are the major producers.
Lead
Used in lead batteries, gasoline additives (now being eliminated) and tanks, and solders, seals or bearing; used in
electrical and electronic applications; TV tubes and glass, construction, communications and protective coatings; in
ballast or weights; ceramics or crystal glass; X-ray and gamma radiation shielding; soundproofing material in
construction industry; and ammunition. United States is largest producer (mainly from Missouri) and consumer of lead
metal. It is also produced in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Washington.
Lithium
Compounds are used in ceramics and glass; in primary aluminum production; in the manufacture of lubricants and
greases; rocket propellants; vitamin A synthesis; silver solder; batteries; medicine. Lithium ion batteries have become
a substitute for nickel-cadmium batteries in hand held electronic devices.
Manganese
Essential to iron and steel production. Construction, machinery and transportation end uses account for most U.S.
consumption of manganese. Major producers are South Africa, China, Gabon and Brazil. Manganese ore is not
produced in the U.S.
Mica
Micas commonly occur as flakes, scales or shreds. Sheet muscovite (white) mica is used in electronic insulators;
ground mica in paints, as joint cement, as a dusting agent, in well-drilling muds; and in plastics, roofing, rubber and
welding rods.
Molybdenum
Used in alloy steels to make automotive parts, construction equipment, gas transmission pipes; stainless steels; tool
steels; cast irons; super alloys; and chemicals and lubricants. As a pure metal, molybdenum is used because of its

4. high melting temperatures (4,730 F) as filament supports in light bulbs, metalworking dies and furnace parts. Major
producers are the United States, China, Chile and Peru.
Nickel
Vital as an alloy to stainless steel; plays key role in the chemical and aerospace industries. Major producers are
Russia, Canada, Indonesia, and Australia
Perlite
Expanded perlite is used in roof insulation boards; as fillers, filter aids and for horticulture.
Platinum Group Metals (PGM)
Includes platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium. Commonly occur together in nature and are
among the scarcest of the metallic elements. Platinum is used principally in catalysts for the control of automobile and
industrial plant emissions; in jewelry; in catalysts to produce acids, organic chemicals and pharmaceutical. PGMs
used in bushings for making glass fibers used in fiber-reinforced plastic and other advanced materials, in electrical
contacts, in capacitors, in conductive and resistive films used in electronic circuits; in dental alloys used for making
crowns and bridge.
Phosphate rock
Used to produce phosphoric acid for ammoniated phosphate fertilizers, feed additives for livestock, elemental
phosphorus, and a variety of phosphate chemicals for industrial and home consumers. U.S. production occurs in
Michigan, New Mexico and Utah. The U.S. is a major producer.
Potash
A carbonate of potassium; used as a fertilizer, in medicine, in the chemical industry and to produce decorative color
effects on brass, bronze and nickel. The leading producers are Canada and Russia.
Pyrite
Used in the manufacture of sulfur, sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide; pellets of pressed pyrite dust are used to recover
iron, gold, copper, cobalt, nickel; used to make inexpensive jewelry.
Quartz (silica)
As a crystal, quartz is used as a semiprecious gem stone. Crystalline varieties include amethyst, citrine, rose quartz,
smoky quartz, etc. Cryptocrystalline forms include agate, jasper, onyx, etc. Because of its piezoelectric properties
quartz is used for pressure gauges, oscillators, resonators and wave stabilizes; because of its ability to rotate the
plane of polarization of light and its transparency in ultraviolet rays, it is used in heat-ray lamps, prism and
spectrographic lenses. Also used in manufacturing glass, paints, abrasives, refractory materials and precision
instruments.

5. Rare Earth Elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium,
neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium,
terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium ytterbium and
lutetium)
Used mainly in petroleum fluid cracking catalysts, metallurgical additives, ceramics and polishing compounds,
permanent magnets and phosphors. It is estimated that 40 pounds of rare earths are used in a hybrid car for
rechargeable battery, permanent magnet motor and the regenerative braking system.
Silica
Used in manufacture of computer chips, glass and refractory materials; ceramics; abrasives; water filtration;
component of hydraulic cements; filler in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, paper, insecticides; anti-caking agent in foods;
flatting agent in paints; thermal insulator. China is the leading producer.
Silver
Used in coins and medals, industrial applications, jewelry, silverware and photography. The physical properties of
silver include ductility, electronics conductivity, malleability and reflectivity. Used in lining vats and other equipment for
chemical reaction vessels, water distillation, etc.; a catalyst in manufacture of ethylene; mirrors; silver plating; table
cutlery; dental, medical and scientific equipment; bearing metal; magnet windings; brazing alloys, solder. Also used in
catalytic converters, cell phone covers, electronics and circuit boards. The leading producers include Peru, Mexico,
China, Chile and Australia.
Sodium Carbonate (soda ash or trona)
Used in glass container manufacture; in fiberglass and specialty glass; also used in production of flat glass; in liquid
detergents; in medicine; as a food additive; photography; cleaning and boiler compounds; pH control of water. Most
U.S. production comes from Wyoming. The U.S. is a major producer.
Sulfur
Used in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, fertilizers, petroleum refining; and metal mining. The U.S., Canada and
China are major producers.
Tantalum
A refractory metal with unique electrical, chemical and physical properties used to produce electronic components,
tantalum capacitors (in auto electronics, pagers, personal computers and portable telephones) ; for high-purity
tantalum metals in products ranging from weapon systems to superconductors; high-speed tools; catalyst; sutures
and body implants; electronic circuitry; thin-film components. Used in optical glass and electroplating devices.
Leading producers are Australia, Brazil and Ethiopia.
Titanium

6. Titanium mineral concentrates are used primarily by titanium dioxide pigment producers. A small amount is used in
welding rod coatings and for manufacturing carbides, chemicals and metals. It is produced in Florida and Virginia.
Leading producing countries are Australia, South Africa, Canada and China.
Titanium and titanium dioxide are used in aerospace applications (in jet engines, airframes and space and missile
applications). It is also used in armor, chemical processing, marine, medical, power generation, sporting goods and
other non-aerospace applications. The leading producers are China, Japan, Russia and Kazakhstan.
Tungsten
More than half of the tungsten consumed in the United States was used in cemented carbide parts for cutting and
wear-resistant materials, primarily in the construction, metalworking, mining, and oil- and gas-drilling industries. The
remaining tungsten was consumed to make tungsten heavy alloys for applications requiring high density; electrodes,
filaments, wires, and other components for electrical, electronic, heating, lighting, and welding applications; steels,
superalloys, and wear-resistant alloys; and chemicals for various applications. China is by far the leading producer.
Russia, Canada and Austria also produce tungsten. The U.S. produces very little.
Uranium
More than 20 percent of America's electricity is produced using uranium in nuclear generation. It is also used for
nuclear medicine, atomic dating, powering nuclear submarines and other uses in the U.S. defense system.
Vanadium
Metallurgical use, primarily as an alloying agent for iron and steel, accounted for about 92 percent of the domestic
vanadium consumption in 2008. Of the other uses for vanadium, the major non-metallurgical use was in catalysts for
the production of maleic anhydride and sulfuric acid. South Africa, the U.S. and China are largest producers.
Zeolites
Used in aquaculture (fish hatcheries for removing ammonia from the water); water softener; in catalysts; cat litter;
odor control; and for removing radioactive ions from nuclear plant effluent.
Zinc
Of the total zinc consumed in the U.S., about 55 percent was used in galvanizing, 21 percent in zinc-based alloys, 16
percent in brass and bronze, and 8 percent in other uses. Zinc compounds and dust were used principally by the
agriculture, chemical, paint, and rubber industries.
Major co-products of zinc mining and smelting, in order of decreasing tonnage, were lead, sulfuric acid, cadmium,
silver, gold and germanium. Zinc is used as protective coating on steel, as die casting, as an alloying metal with
copper to make brass and as chemical compounds in rubber and paints; used as sheet zinc and for galvanizing iron;
electroplating; metal spraying; automotive parts; electrical fuses; anodes; dry cell batteries; nutrition; chemicals; roof
gutter; engravers' plates; cable wrappings; organ pipes and pennies. Zinc oxide used in medicine, paints, in
vulcanizing rubber, sun block. Zinc dust used for primers, paints, precipitation of noble metals; removal of impurities
from solution in zinc electrowinning. U.S. production is inseven states and 16 mines. Leading producers are China,
Australia and the U.S.

7. Source: Facts About Minerals (National Mining Association); Mineral Information Institute,
USGSilver: Used in photography, jewelry, in electronics because of its very high
conductivity, as currency - generally in some form of an alloy, in lining vats and
other equipment for chemical reaction vessels, water distillation, etc., catalyst in
manufacture of ethylene, mirrors, electric conductors, batteries, silver plating,
table cutlery, dental, medical, and scientific equipment, electrical contacts,
bearing metal, magnet windings, brazing alloys, solder. Silver is mined in
approximately 56 countries. Nevada produces over one-third of the U.S. silver.
Largest silver reserves are found in the U.S., Can
TIN Uses;Much tin is used to coat so-called “tin” cans. Since tin does not oxidize (rust) in air or
water, it is applied to the surface of flat-rolled steel to make tin plate, which is then fabricated to
produce “tin” cans. This use accounts for about one-fourth of the tin consumed annually. Alloys such as
bronze and pewter are also a major use of tin. Tin is useful in electrical applications, mainly low-
melting-point solders, that account for one-fourth of tin consumption. It is also used in construction,
transportation (mainly in bearings requiring soft metal alloys) and other various industrial
applications. For example, window glass is made by pouring molten glass onto molten tin; this process
results in flat sheets of glass. An alloy of tin and niobium has proven to be a “superconducting”
compound at very low temperatures.
ada, Mexico, Peru, and Chin